generated: '2026-08-12'
method: searched
source: https://developer.sovrn.com/docs/comparisons-automated-library
docs:
- https://developer.sovrn.com/docs/comparisons-automated-library
- https://developer.sovrn.com/docs/server-side-rendering
note: >-
  Sovrn ships no server-side SDKs, but it does ship a client-side runtime: one CDN-hosted
  JavaScript library (vglnk.js, the Sovrn Commerce JavaScript) that both rewrites outbound
  links into affiliate links and renders price-comparison widgets in place. It is configured
  declaratively through a global `vglnk` object rather than through an imported API.
families:
- name: Sovrn Commerce JavaScript
  kind: loader
  library: vglnk.js
  script_url: //cdn.viglink.com/api/vglnk.js
  registry: cdn
  version: null
  version_note: >-
    The documented script tag is unpinned — it points at cdn.viglink.com/api/vglnk.js with no
    version segment and no integrity hash, so it always floats to whatever Sovrn is currently
    serving. A consumer cannot tell which build they are running, and neither can we. There
    is no registry metadata endpoint for it (it is not on npm; an npm search for both "sovrn"
    and "viglink" returns zero packages).
  install: |
    <script
      src="//cdn.viglink.com/api/vglnk.js"
      async
      type="text/javascript"
    ></script>
  configuration: >-
    A global `vglnk` object declared before the loader carries the site API key and any
    feature configuration.
  globals:
  - name: window.__commercejs.fetchProductRecommendations()
    description: >-
      Re-runs product recommendation fetching after a client-side render. Documented for
      Next.js App Router / SSR integrations where the library's automatic run happens before
      hydration completes.
    source: https://developer.sovrn.com/docs/server-side-rendering
- name: Automated Price Comparisons
  kind: embedded-widget
  library: vglnk.js (automatedLibrary configuration)
  description: >-
    Dynamically inserts price-comparison widgets into pages that already contain product
    links, using CSS selectors to find the product card, the destination URL and the
    insertion point. No markup changes are required beyond the selectors.
  demo: https://comparisons.sovrn.com/pages/demo-automated-library.html
  backing_api: openapi/sovrn-price-comparisons-openapi.yml
  configuration_options:
  - name: selector
    type: string
    description: CSS selector for the target element, usually the product card.
  - name: urlSelector
    type: string
    required: false
    description: >-
      CSS selector for the element carrying the external product URL, usually an <a> tag.
      URLs must be direct, non-affiliated links to brands.
  - name: widgetPlacementSelector
    type: string
    description: CSS selector for where the widget is inserted.
  - name: widgetSwap
    type: string
    description: Insertion mode relative to the placement element (e.g. inside).
  - name: geolocation
    type: boolean
  - name: widgetType
    type: string
    example: price-comparison
  - name: templateId
    type: string
    example: table1
  init_example: |
    <script type="text/javascript">
        var vglnk = {
            key: <api key>,
            automatedLibrary: {
                selector: '.card',
                urlSelector: '.card-title a',
                widgetPlacementSelector: '.widgetDisplay',
                widgetSwap: 'inside',
                geolocation: false,
                widgetType: 'price-comparison',
                templateId: 'table1'
            }
        };
        (function (d, t) {
            var s = d.createElement(t);
            s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true;
            s.src = '//cdn.viglink.com/api/vglnk.js';
            var r = d.getElementsByTagName(t)[0];
            r.parentNode.insertBefore(s, r);
        }(document, 'script'));
    </script>
  validation: >-
    All configuration parameters are checked for validity; the library throws a descriptive
    error to the browser console when an option is invalid.
frameworks:
- name: Next.js
  guidance: >-
    Call window.__commercejs.fetchProductRecommendations() from a client-component useEffect
    once the page has fully hydrated.
  source: https://developer.sovrn.com/docs/server-side-rendering